A Century of Green Leaves
by Sixty-four K
Summary: I have officially joined the challenge! One hundred drabbles and short stories, all taking place in Mirkwood. Has all the usual Mirkwood suspects, including Legolas, Thranduil, Galion, Elros the guard, Feren and Lethuin. Some humour, mostly angst(thanks to Galion). Takes place at various times throughout Thranduil's life, starting from when Oropher arrived in the Greenwood.
1. 67- Failed Attempt(On Galion)

_It's all NirCele's fault, as usual. ;-) Seeing her collection of one hundred drabbles(READ THEM, PEOPLES! They're seriously amazing, if they inspired me;-) has inspired me to try my hand at some as well, using the same collection of prompts as she did. These are mostly to do with the Greenwood, rather than Imladris, as hers are. A few to do with Imladris may slip in here, though. So... I'm dedicating these to her. You're allowed to feel very special, NirCele._

 _It's also her fault because, for the last while, she's been 'nagging'(in a good way) me to write some Galion angst. So, I hope this is good for now! Enjoy!_

 _Oh, and the word 'century' can be used to describe things besides years. Just so you know!_

* * *

 _#67 Failed Attempt(Note: takes place before Galion is a butler, when he's just a cute little 40-or-so year old.)  
_

"Good luck, Galion."

Galion dipped his head, acknowledging his father's words, but he didn't look up from his bow. It lay in his lap, the wood still shiny, the finish not worn away.

It wasn't from lack of practice. He'd practised. But somehow, it never showed. His bow never wore down, and he never got any stronger.

He heard footsteps approaching. It wasn't his father returning- he knew his footsteps. It was Lethuin, as he soon saw. The younger elf stood before him, weight on the left leg, as was his custom. Lethuin pretended to examine his fingernails, but looked at Galion out of the corner of his eye. "So, it's trial day, today, is it?"

"You know very well that it is," said Galion quietly.

"Ah, yes!" exclaimed Lethuin. "I'd forgotten. Do you think you'll pass?"

At getting no answer from Galion, Lethuin continued. "It would be wonderful if you did. You'd finally get to join your own age group." Then, he grinned. "How many times have you attempted? Ten? Twenty? How many years?"

"Go away, Lethuin."

Shaking his head condescendingly, Lethuin walked away, leaving Galion alone with newly refreshed doubts, and a vague realization of something that he had known long ago- there was no use in trying again, being humiliated again. He would never pass.


	2. 27-Connecting the Dots(Legolas & Feren)

_Thanks for reviewing, following and favouriting, guys! It really means a lot to me._

 _Well, this one turned out a little long for a 'drabble'. It also went a little off-topic. Oh, well. I like it, and I hope you guys do too. Please review! Just one sentence is enough to make me happy, and more than one makes me that much more happy. It's an exponential relationship. XD_

 **#27- Connecting the Dots**

"It really doesn't make sense."

Legolas shook his head, his long-suffering patience draining away every so slowly. "It does make sense, Feren," he said, looking up at the adolescent, who was reclining in a tree branch several feet above him. "We've always had a monarchy. All the realms have monarchies. It's just the way that things have always been-"

"No, listen," interrupted Feren. "You're just repeating what your father told you, aren't you? What proof do you have that it's better? You've only been giving circumstantial evidence, as far as I can see."

Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but Feren didn't seem to notice. "I've been thinking about it for a long time," he continued, "and yes, I know that I'm young, but that doesn't stop me from using my brain, does it? Using logic? Connecting the dots, as it were?"

"But, Feren," Legolas began, drawing near to the tree and leaning against it. He stared up thoughtfully into the green leaves above him, then continued. "Kings... they are the noblest creatures to ever exist. I can't explain it... there's no way to connect the dots here, but I know that many of the greatest elves to walk in the world were and are kings. Thingol, so long ago, Oropher, my grandfather, and naturally, my father, among others. And I hope," he said quietly, "that if I am destined to become king some day, that I may be as noble as these."

Feren closed his eyes. "You don't understand. You just don't understand." He slipped out of the tree, landing lightly on the soft grass below. He stood before Legolas, brazenly gazing into his eyes. "You don't have any real evidence to prove that that a monarchy is the best form of government." He walked swiftly away, back towards the palace, but turned before he was far away to stare back at Legolas. "I'm not going to listen to you, prince though you are, until you give me proof."

Legolas watched his retreating form helplessly, then sunk down, back against the tree, and stared once more at his namesakes, rustling quietly above him.


	3. 21- Stealing(On Legolas and Galion)

_Thank you all for reviewing, guys! As a little side note, all of these stories will be canon with any longer Mirkwood stories that I write, unless I specifically label it AU. I was also wondering if you would prefer it if I put more than one drabble in each chapter. I was doing one at a time for the sake of convenience for people looking through the index, since I'm labeling the main characters in each, but I'd like to know what you think.  
_

 _Get used to it people- most of these are going to have Galion in them. :P It's tricky keeping him out, considering that he's my muse, and that there aren't many canon elves in Mirkwood. Hope you don't mind..._

 _ **#21: Stealing**_

His blue eyes narrowed in concentration, Legolas crawled into the kitchens of the halls of the Elvenking. As he stayed as low to the ground as possible, crawling under tables and pressing himself against every available wall, the elfling strove to stay silent, but couldn't help but giggle with excitement at the thought of what he was about to do. He was going to swipe a piece of Galion's famous lembas.

Galion's lembas was not only famous- it was rock-hard, and almost indigestible. The butler, when confronted with this fact, would claim that it was meant to be hard; it was, after all, a food made to be eaten while travelling, and travelling food was always hard. Legolas, therefore, had no desire to eat the lembas; rather, it was the bravado that drove him onwards. Not just anyone could steal something from under Galion's watchful, though oft-distracted, eye. Only a mighty warrior could do such a thing, thought Legolas, stifling another giggle as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

Then, Legolas realized who was glaring poisonously down at him over the counter's edge. The prince glanced as casually as possible up towards the butler.

"Hullo, Galion," said Legolas.

"Hullo yourself," said Galion. "I do hope that you're not planning on stealing any lembas?"

Legolas blinked. "W-well..."

"I'll give you three seconds to decide whether or not you are stealing it," said Galion. "One... Two..."

But Legolas had already vanished, darting away nervously out of the kitchen. Galion gave a smug smile, satisfied with the way that he had handled the situation. Turning his attention back towards his task, he picked up a piece of lembas, then frowned, displeased with its texture. Muttering something along the lines of, "the recipe needs more work," he tossed it out of the kitchen window, albeit with great panache, then stalked away.


	4. 25- Documentation(Thranduil and Galion)

_Thanks for reviewing, everyone! And my silent readers are appreciated as well. Please review, once again!_

 _Galion manages to turn everything angsty. I didn't think that "documentation" would be, but I like it, so here it is!_

 ** _#25- Documentation_**

He hadn't expected to see Galion working so soon. He'd only appointed the young elf this morning, but, sure enough, Galion was already hard at work, his long fingers tapping the various casks and containers in the cellar as he counted silently. Thranduil hated to disturb him- but, then again, it would be amusing to see him jump.

"What are you doing, Galion?"

Sure enough, Galion jumped. The butler turned around, and, upon seeing the prince, managed a shaky laugh. "Why, sire! What a surprise to see you down here. Why, I'm doing inventory. It's important to know exactly what's in stock. That's what my ada always said, anyway."

Thranduil nodded approvingly. "He was right. It would be a dreadful thing if we ran out of Dorwinion during a party."

Galion again laughed nervously, turning back towards the wall. "Of course, if I may be so bold to say this, but... that is indeed something that your grace would say."

Thranduil half-smirked, then felt slightly guilty. After all, it was Galion's first day on the job. There was no need to overwhelm the young elf with his characteristic less-than-regal behaviour, which, although well known to the palace staff, was not commonly known among the rest of the forest's population. "Do you need any help?"

The words were meant as a half-apology, but Galion started once again, his elbow jarring a bottle off of the wine rack. The bottle fell and, despite Galion's desperate efforts, shattered into a thousand pieces upon hitting the floor. Galion stared at the mess, eyes wide and glassy. Then, he pulled out a notebook. "I'm going to have to document that," he muttered.

"Galion-"

"No sire," said Galion tautly, yet shakily, scribbling down in the notebook. "I'm here to serve you, and, as much as it may amuse you, I'm not here to keep you company with friendly, inefficient, teamwork. Oh, it was a 3002 vintage!" he gasped, catching sight of the label. "His Majesty's going to have me horsewhipped..."

"I'll tell him that it was my fault," began Thranduil.

"No, no, sire." Galion held up his notebook. "The documents never lie. I broke it. I must take responsibility."

Shaking his head, Thranduil climbed back up the stairs to the main floor, leaving Galion kneeling, surrounded, not for the last time, by a pool of red, sparkling with shards of broken glass.


	5. 71- Arrow(On Legolas)

_Finally, a real, less-than-one-hundred-words drabble! This one is dedicated to WoodElfJedi, or Lir. I wanted my first all-Legolas drabble to be dedicated to her, since I know how much she loves him._

 **#71- Arrow**

The shaft was thin, but strong; the head, sharp, yet blunt enough to cause considerable damage. It was, for an orcish arrow, considerably well crafted. Legolas stared at it with admiration in his eyes. What he wouldn't give to have such an arrow inside his quiver.

It was such a pity that it was inside his lung instead.


	6. 65-Inner Beauty(Thrandy, Queen, Galion)

_**#65- Inner Beauty**_

"Isn't she lovely, Galion?"

Galion strained his eyes to see where Thranduil pointed. "I suppose she must be, sire, if you can see her from this far away."

Thranduil chuckled. "Something must be wrong with your eyes, Galion. The river is hardly 'far away'."

Galion squinted. He could see the vague shape of an elf, skipping here and there along the banks of the Forest River. "I really can't make out any detail. Isn't she one of the ladies-in-waiting?"

Thranduil snorted. "Nonsense. Do you really think that I would pay attention to one of _those_?"

"Well, you noticed me, sire, and I was no better than a lady-in-waiting back then."

Thranduil waved a hand. "Ah, yes, but that's because you were- and still are, of course- a hard worker- and on no account should you compare yourself to a _lady-in-waiting_ , of all things. No, no, she's the daughter of one of those stuffy old lords." Then, he stopped. "Do you think she'd like me, Galion?"

Galion blinked. "I know nothing of her character, my lord- and I very much doubt that you even know her name. But, of course, you _are_ the prince, and I'm sure that she'd like you because of that, if nothing else."

Thranduil sat down, back against the tree that he had been hiding behind, his face slightly disappointed. "Of course I know her name, Galion," he protested. "It's Neliel. And she seems very nice."

Galion remained standing, watching the figure continue her convoluted way down the banks of the river. "Ah, yes, sire, but you must judge character, first of all, before outward beauty. And I judge that her character is very flighty. Why else would she skip so foolishly along a river that could cause sleep if she fell into it?"

Thranduil rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I ever ask you for advice, Galion. You never give me the answers I want to hear."

* * *

 _I have a note this time!_

 _At this point in Thranduil's life, he would probably have been living at Amon Lanc, which, according to the Unfinished Tales: The Disaster of the Gladden Fields, was where the old capital of the Greenwood was, before it moved to the northeast corner of the wood where it is in The Hobbit. I've still decided to include the Forest River in this story, though, so you can make up your own reasons as to why Thranduil is up in the northeast. Maybe he wanted to get away from the pressures of palace life, or something ;-)  
_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Please let me know what you think!_


	7. 49- A Simple Delight(Thranduil & Galion)

_**#49- A Simple Delight**_

He padded through the halls that night, bare feet making barely a sound on the cold stone floors. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but it wasn't sleep, by any means. He'd had more than enough of that within these last few months.

It was cold- very cold. He wasn't quite sure if it was just how he felt inside, or if the weather had something to do with it. Of course, it was the dead of winter, so that might be the cause.

He found himself outside the kitchen door, of all places. He never went in here, but that coughing inside was getting quite irritating. He walked inside, put the kettle on over the fire, and sat down at the table, opposite the sleeping figure of Galion, slumped over the table.

Thranduil studied the pale figure before him. One bony hand clutched a once-white handkerchief, now stained with rusty red. The shoulders shook occasionally with silent coughs, the grey-green eyes, which had once glowed with excitement over finally being appointed the long-coveted position of butler, were dull, half-closed in sleep.

Had he driven Galion to this? This state of- perhaps not brokenness, but certainly a state of weariness. The Elvenking thought over the events that had occurred since the summer. The death of… no...the going-away-of… the queen. His wife. She was gone, never to return.

Then, everything else had fallen downhill. He wouldn't look at Legolas. It wasn't the poor baby's fault, but he still wouldn't look at him. Things would have fallen apart if not for Galion's vigilance, now that he thought of it; the butler's many quiet efforts to keep the household running smoothly, never publicly caving in under pressure...

And all that he could do was yell at him. Yell, and cry at him(not with him; at him), and glare. And Galion only wanted to serve him. Perhaps, even be his friend. They used to be friends.

That must have hurt him dreadfully.

Thranduil got up, and poured water out of the now-boiling kettle into the teapot. The noise that he made doing this was barely noticeable, but, naturally, Galion heard it. The butler startled violently, startling himself into a coughing fit. A fresh stain found its way onto his handkerchief. Then Galion saw Thranduil. His eyes widened in horror. "Oh, _sire_! I...I'm dreadfully sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep- I meant to-"

"Shut up, Galion," said Thranduil. He pushed a teacup across the table. "You're sick, and, like a fool, I didn't notice. Drink this; it's good for you. It's one simple delight that we can afford to partake in these days."

Galion took the cup hesitantly. "I'm not very sick. And you aren't expected to notice, sire. You have so much on your mind these days."

Thranduil shook his head, looking down at the table. "Well, I've given you enough to worry about, I'm afraid." The Elvenking got up from the table. "You're allowed to sleep late tomorrow. Which means that you have to go to bed. Do so as soon as you're finished that cup- and no pouring it out where you think that I won't notice. I assure you that I will."

Thranduil swept out of the room. Galion stared, stunned, after his retreating figure. When the king had disappeared, when his footsteps were no longer audible, the butler stared confusedly into the depths of his tea cup.

* * *

 _A/N- I'm so sorry for taking so long to update anything! School is hard, life is busy, and writer's block has plagued me. Forgive me?_

 _Finally, after trying and trying to come up with a drabble, this came out of nowhere. It's sort of self-indulgent(actually; very self-indulgent- there's nothing better than Thranduil and Galion friendship/angst/fluff stuff.) I know it's way too long, but it wouldn't stop earlier, and, since Arrow was so short, I thought this was okay. Also, please don't flame me for making Galion sick. I guessed that if Legolas could get infected arrow wounds, Galion could get pneumonia. ;-)If you're still doubtful about the possibility of sick elves, check out this article at www. silmarillionwritersguild reference/references/pdf/elvish_fanons. pdf(remove the spaces and add a lower-case "HTTP slash slash colon" before the "www". That kept getting edited out by the site when I tried to link it.  
_

 _Please let me know your thoughts. I love reviews way too much. Thank you very much to Lir and an anonymous guest who reviewed chapter five for reviewing as guests! Thank you all for reading, and, once again, please let me know your thoughts!_


	8. 36-Sunrise(On Thranduil & the Queen)

_#36- Sunrise_

The pink and white poured through the high window, catching in her hair, white gold glowing and changing to pale rose in the light.

But Thranduil didn't look at her.

She was such a common sight. Why should he bother?

Her eyes, a warm cyan, reflected the light of the sun.

But he didn't pay attention. Didn't she understand that he was upset? Heartbroken?

He needed to post more guards. Keep the gates locked at all times. It wasn't safe. Without a doubt, he had learned the hard way that the greenwood was no longer safe.

She should have known that.

Later, he was sorry for shouting at her, for throwing harsh variants of the word 'no' at her when she asked to please be allowed to go outside, to walk in the light of the sunrise with him. But she should have known! She should have known that something would happen!

But she didn't.

And neither did he.

* * *

 _This is the first in a (probably) three-part miniseries._


	9. 35- Let's Play a Game(Queen)

**_This chapter is most likely rated T. Part 2/3 of a miniseries._**

 ** _This is, perhaps, something that a minstrel, such as Lindir, would sing. It wouldn't be sung in Mirkwood, though, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to separate the stanzas; however, it shouldn't really matter. I hope you enjoy it._**

* * *

 _#35- Let's Play a Game_

With terror, she ran.

Laughing, they chased.

Together partook in

A primeval race

The dark, twisted trees

Once friendly, betrayed

Her once-happy step

To those minds so depraved

She begged them for mercy

Some sort of respite

From this morbid game

Which brought them delight

But alas! Her cries

Soon faded away

As the fair white stars

Fade soft into day

And all that was left

Was her bones and her name

And their coarse, ghastly laughter-

"Come. Let's play a game."

* * *

 _ **I hope that this wasn't too disturbing. I don't want you all to get scared off! Please review and let me know what you think!**_


	10. 47- The Nature of Evil(Legolas)

_Part three of three_

* * *

 ** _#47- The Nature of Evil_**

Legolas to wonder when he was five years old. He couldn't say what he was wondered about, but what he _could_ say was that he began to take things for granted less and less often.

It started when Ada said that he couldn't go outside anymore; at least, not without a grown-up with him to take care of him.

Or maybe it started when Galion stopped telling him bedtime stories. Galion was always too tired for bedtime stories now.

But no- it started when Nana disappeared. Of course. How could he forget? That's why he wasn't allowed to go outside. The spiders and orcs and everything nasty and evil took her away to live with them. Ada didn't want it to happen to him too, so that's why he had to stay inside.

He was quiet now, too. He'd been quiet ever since Ada found out that Nana was gone. He hadn't wanted to disturb, and he didn't want to interfere, so he was quiet.

But he did miss the old days, when the whole family had gone together outside in the sunshine, out to picnic, out to play together. When Nana used to laugh, when Ada used to smile, and when Galion wouldn't wince at a sudden word, at an exclamation of joy.

Before the nature of evil had made itself known in the greenwood.

* * *

 _I apologize for not updating for so long... I was stuck on how the third part of the series should go. Thanks to all of my reviewers; you're all so kind. X) Hopefully updates should be a little faster, now that I've(I think) gotten over this block._


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